NO-HEADLINE

Orange said it had doubled its subscriber base to 573,000 in the 12 months to June, giving it 9 per cent of the market, and said it was adding customers at an average rate of about 30,000 a month. Vodafone, the mixed analogue and digital operator, said it had added 106,000 subscribers in the second quarter of 1996, compared to about 85,000 at Orange and 70,000 at Cellnet. Orange shares closed 5.5p lower at 219.5p after some analysts described the subscriber figures as disappointing.

Investment column, page 18.